Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Five Products that were tested in the month of June for washability and durability

The following products are all low VOC, interior latex matte finish paints.

CONTESTANTS

Aura - Benjamin Moore Luxe - C2 Paint Eurolux - Fine Paints of Europe

Emerald - Sherwin Williams Aqua borne Ceramic - Graham

TESTS

Hershey's Syrup Test - (Which is when we place Hershey's Syrup on the test samples, rub the syrup
into the board, and let the surface dry for 5 minutes. Then, take the scrubbing side of a sponge and attempt to take off the Syrup).

Gulden's Mustard Test - (Rub the mustard into the surface, let dry for 5 minutes, then scrub off. This tends to be a harder to beat test than some of the others).

Heinz Ketchup Test - (Rub the ketchup into the surface and let dry for 5 minutes. This tends to be the test that most paint coverings will do well on).

Colorant Test - (Place a small amount of colorant on the board, let dry for about one minute, then scrub off. This tends to be one of the most challenging tests for paint products).

Sharpie Marker Test - (Draw a line through the middle of the test board, let dry for twenty seconds, then scrub off. This test is one of the most challenging tests for paint products).

GRADING

If a product passes a test, there will be an "O". If a product fails to pass a test, there will be an "X". If a product does so-so, there will be a "/".

Overall, not too great of a result. The Emerald Matte finish product only seamed to really wash the ketchup test off. The Hershey's Syrup Test is so-so because, yes, the syrup washed off but there was still a little black color stained on parts of the board where the syrup was applied.

Overall, not a bad score. The difference between Graham and Ben Moore's Aura is that the sharpie marker eventually did come off after vigorous scrubbing of the Graham paint. But, the paint itself came off as well.

Overall, very good score. This product was really washable and did actually pass our colorant test. The sharpie marker test came at a so-so because some of the paint came off when scrubbing the marker. The marker did come off but so did a little bit of the paint.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

The following fan decks have been popular color collections for the month of April and May.

GUGGENHEIM COLORS - by Fine Paints of Europe

The Guggenheim colors have grown in popularity ever since the day they were made. The Guggenheim Museum in New York City was fascinated with Fine Paints of Europe's high quality paints, great customer service, and bold and complex colors. So, Fine Paints and the Guggenheim Museum worked together to create these colors. The Guggenheim Gallery collection is made up of the colors that are used on the interior walls of the museum. The Guggenheim Classics collection is comprised of the different colors that one would see in the actual paintings and architecture itself that the museum showcases. These fan decks have become big hits for home owners because of the soft, intricate, and complex off whites, grays, and beiges (as well as some of the bold, accent colors from the Classics fan deck).

HISTORICAL COLORS - by Benjamin Moore

Benjamin Moore's historic colors have always been a classic. As of the month of April and May, however, we have seen a significant increase in popularity. Many people have been using the historical colors for the exterior of homes.

C2 FAN DECK - by C2 Paint

C2 has such rich, beautiful colors, and what has made them especially popular for the month of April and May are their beiges. It is hard to beat C2's collection of beige colors (like Potsticker, Luxe, Thatch, Sandcastle, and more). What people love most about C2's beige colors is that their complexity allows them to complement a wide variety of other colors and room designs. People have even used the C2 beiges throughout their entire homes because of how complex and interesting the colors are.

FARROW AND BALL COLORS - by Farrow and Ball

What has made Farrow and Ball's colors so popular in the month of April and May is their cool, pale colors. These colors create an open feel to your room while maintaining a layer of depth.